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Hi all. I have a nice IXYS hexfred bridge module that I would like to use as a full wave rectifier. What I would like to do is connect a transformer with a 330-0-330 secondary and just use half of the module. I would like to use the centertap as the negative rail instead of taking the negative off of the module thereby making it a simple full wave rectifier rather than a fullwave bridge rectifier. Am I making sense? I don't want to use half of the module. Just two of the diodes. Will this work?

Hi Gavin -

That will work. A bridge is just 4 diodes in an epoxy molded case.

... tom

Speaking of this, you'll even see some commercial manufacturers using a hybrid bridge - a tube for the positive rail and 1/2 a bridge like you describe for the negative. It's a trick to get a tube rectifier in a design without a CT'd transformer

Cheers!

I would use the full bridge if I could find the right Edcor transformer for what I have in mind but they don't seem to make it. I want to use a 330V transformer and basically build a point to point Clementine using a 5670 as the input tube rather than a 6SL7. The only suitable transformers use a centertapped secondary. I have a couple of nice Hashimoto output transformers that are huge compared to the normal Edcors. The top plate is going to be quite large. This is definitely going to be a long term project. Thanks for your replies.

Gavin

Edcor will make a custom transformer for only $40 more than the closest listed one

Geek wrote:Edcor will make a custom transformer for only $40 more than the closest listed one

I looked around the site for a way to order a "custom transformer" but I could not find one. I guess I could do the "old fashioned" thing and just call them on the phone huh? Imagine that.

Phone or email and the person you want to talk to is Phyllis Weston.

They don't advertise it because they're like a shop of only a dozen people.... 4 of them family (Phyllis, Brian, Larry and Lucy).

The other girls are very profficient at running the machines, but custom jobs are hand wound by Larry or Brian.

I haven't ordered a custom one one in a while, so the $40 might be $50 by now

Cheers!

Remember that when using HT - 0 - HT winding each half secondary is used on alternate half cycles of the AC waveform.
If changing to a bridge with just HT - HT secondary then you need to specify the new transformer for HALF the total voltage (same as HT to 0) and TWICE the AC current rating - why? Because with a bridge the the secondary is conducting (in opposite directions) on both of the 2 half cycles of the AC waveform.
This TWICE the AC current rating is often missed - resulting in transformer melt down.
Cheers,
Ian